Mists of Pandaria Talent Trees and New Spells Introduced

Several talents have been changed since they were shown at BlizzCon 2011 and new spells have been added. Naturally, this means we went digging for the ones that you wanted to see, breaking them down by class for a single page reference of everything new and exciting about this talent calculator. Special thanks to Neutronimity who always helps so much on posts like these for his screenshots! Perculia also added some information this evening--a comparison between the featured MoP talents and current options, as well as a transcription of the talent tooltips from the screenshots.

Blizzard also gave their logic for these changes as well as a warning that these are always subject to change throughout the Mists of Pandaria alpha and beta experience. So don't get too attached--though who are we kidding? I'm already in love with blinding light.

As previously announced at BlizzCon 2011, class talents are undergoing some significant changes in the next World of Warcraft expansion. Learn more about these changes and test out different builds for all your favorite classes with our new Mists of Pandaria Talent Calculator, available here!

We’re excited to be able to provide players with the opportunity to explore this new talent system and look forward to hearing your feedback. As with all previews, we ask that you please keep in mind that Mists of Pandaria and its class talents are still under development. This means that many of the spells and abilities you see in the Talent Calculator are not yet final and may change before release.

We wanted to take a moment to give some context to why the calculators were posted, and the permanence of the data shown. A lot of times we say things like "not final" and "may change" as verbal wiggle room should we decide we need to go a different direction, or are unable to complete something in time. In this case of the Mists of Pandaria calculator data is essentially pre-alpha, and will absolutely change in many ways.

It was important for us to get this stuff in front of you as soon as possible though (and as a work in progress as it is) to get your feedback, which will in no small part influence that change. We also wanted to present everything on a single page to give you a fuller context for the initial talent changes we announced at BlizzCon, and to see how the overall structure of core abilities, spec abilities, and talents will function, with concrete examples.

The calculator contains elements that are experimental, still in the process of implementation, or in some cases outright failed experiments that we already intend to revise or replace. Odds are good that if it looks like we’ve forgotten some critical piece of a particular class toolkit, it’s either accounted for elsewhere, or simply a data glitch (e.g., Prayer of Healing is currently absent from the calculator – we are not taking Prayer of Healing away from priests, and Devastate for warriors probably won't sunder armor 453%). Our hope is that revealing the calculator in this state will shed light on the philosophy behind our talent overhaul, and let you get a sense of how pieces of your core rotational gameplay, such as Hot Streak, Riptide, or Sudden Doom, fit into the new system.

The different classes are also at very different stages of design and implementation, and the fact that some mechanics changes we discussed at BlizzCon and in recent Q&As are not yet present does not mean that we have abandoned those ideas.

Any and all feedback is very welcome, but please keep all of the above in mind when considering the information in the talent calculator, and please keep feedback consolidated in the Mists of Pandaria forum: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/2592425/

Talent Changes and Exciting New Spells

New Spells

We've poked around in Blizzard's Mists of Pandaria talent calculator for new spells and we think we've found them all. Some of them will sound similar but be incredibly different than their current Cataclysm brand of spell. It's clear Blizzard didn't pull any punches here--each spell is unique and refreshing. Spells like Symbiosis for druids are a prime example of a type of spell that players have wanted for years that would make a class incredibly dynamic!

Dominates the target undead creature, forcing it to do your bidding. While controlled, the time between the undead minion's attacks is increased by 30% and its casting speed is slowed by 20%. Lasts up to 5 min.

Launches an Arcane Orb forward from the Mage's position, dealing 302 Arcane damage every second to all nearby enemy targets for 15 sec.

Frost Orb(level 77, Frost) — This ability has a Fire equivalent, .

40 yd range, Instant cast

Launches a Frost Orb forward from the Mage's position, dealing 302 Frost damage every second to the closest enemy target for 15 sec. targets damaged by the Frost Orb are slowed by 40% for 2 sec. (Similar to .)

Alter Time(level 87)

Instant cast, 3 min cooldown

Alter the fabric of time, causing the caster to return to their current location, health, mana, and conditions after 4 sec. Effect negated if the caster dies within the 4 sec before the effect occurs.

A vicious strike that exploits the vulnerability of foes with less than 35% health remaining, causing 200% weapon damage plus 766 to the target. Requires a dagger in the main hand. Awards 1 combo point. (Similar to Backstab.)

Reduces the chance you will be critically hit by melee attacks by 6%. (Similar to .)

Wild Strike(level 20, Fury)

30 Rage, Melee Range, Instant Cast, Requires Melee Weapon

A quick strike with your off-hand weapon that deals 95% weapon damage plus 446 and wounds the target, reducing the effectiveness of any healing received for 10 sec.

Updated Talents

Several talents have been changed since they were shown at BlizzCon 2011. Blizzard has cautioned us that this will continue to be the case for many months to come; they are still tweaking talents. Here are the talents that are important, sorted by class.

Current--Wild Charge: Causes you to charge an enemy, immobilizing them for 4 sec.

Current--: Increases your melee haste by 30% after you use Feral Charge (Bear) for 8 sec, and your next Ravage will temporarily not require stealth or have a positioning requirement for 10 sec after you use Feral Charge (Cat), and cost 100% less energy.

Incarnation(tier 4, level 60)

New: Activates a superior shapeshifting form appropriate to your specialization for 30 sec. You may freely shapeshift in and out of this form for its duration.

Balance: Chosen of Elune: Improved Moonkin Form that increases Arcane and Nature damage by 20% and reduces all damage taken by 15%.

Feral: King of the Jungle: Improved Cat Form that allows the use of all abilities which normal require stealth, and allows use of Prowl while in combat.

Guardian: Son of Ursoc: Improved Bear Form that reduces the cooldown on all melee abilities to 1.5 sec.

Restoration: Tree of Life: Tree of Life Form that increases armor by 120% and enhances Lifebloom, Wild Growth, Regrowth, Entangling Roots, and Wrath spellcasts.

Current--Moonkin Form: Shapeshift into Moonkin Form, increasing Arcane and Nature spell damage by 10%, reducing all damage taken by 15%, and increases spell haste of all party and raid members by 5%. The Moonkin can not cast healing or resurrection spells while shapeshifted.

Balance: Healing spells generate Lunar or Solar Energy and benefit form Lunar and Solar Eclipse. In addition, grants 50% of Intellect as Agility, 100% of hit rating as expertise rating, and increases armor by 95% while in Bear Form.

Guardian: Grants 50% of Agility as Intellect and increases hit rating by 100%. In addition, regenerates 2% of maximum mana every 5 sec.

Restoration: Grants 50% of Intellect as Agility and 100% of Spirit as hit rating and expertise rating, and increases armor by 95% while in Bear Form. In addition, damage spells cost no mana.

Current--: Increases your Intellect by 6%. In addition, while in Bear Form your Stamina is increased by 6% and while in Cat Form your attack power is increased by 10%.

Comments

Comment by CadalMord

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 07:28:20 -0600

Also, if there was a clear resto(or any other spec) talent on every tier it would kinda defeat the whole purpose of the new talent system which is to provide everyone hard choices on every tier instead of getting a clear cookiecutter path throughout.

Expect for the fact that those hard choices are actually 2/6 not 6/6 because as a healer I don't care about the other four. Now maybe there is something about the encounter design in MoP that will make me care about the other four. But as it stands two hard choices isn't compelling.

I comprehend what they are trying to do. But their solution just isn't satisfactory.

Please tell me how I could help you understand that having 6 talent tiers for a a class with 4 different specs is inevitably going to end with talents not optimal for every spec.

Also, aside from the 2 "spec-related" tiers, having the 4 other tiers not optimal for you WILL be a hard decision, right? I'm sure you won't just pick a random talent because "pff who cares it's not for my spec"; instead you'll be thinking of situations where each of those talents could possibly be useful for your playstyle and finally choose the talent that comes closest to being useful.

Comment by reemon1

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 07:39:22 -0600

Ok im very happy with all the new abilities and talent tree stuff , but being a hunter WTF should i do ?i meen Blizz is working on everything exept hunters until now , all the expansion notes are everything Not for hunters look at the new warlock spells for example how long is that ? but nothing for hunters , Thanx

Comment by Mizq

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 07:42:46 -0600

I realy hope they change so warriors victory rush is more then 10%, all the other classes is going to have realy good heals so i hope warrior will be equal

Comment by chanett

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 08:54:25 -0600

Cant believe hunters dont get a %^&*! &*!@ing annoying..

Comment by Nathanyal

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 09:28:31 -0600

Cant believe hunters dont get a %^&*! &*!@ing annoying..

Ok im very happy with all the new abilities and talent tree stuff , but being a hunter WTF should i do ?i meen Blizz is working on everything exept hunters until now , all the expansion notes are everything Not for hunters look at the new warlock spells for example how long is that ? but nothing for hunters , Thanx

You need to chill sir/ma'am. The expac isn't even in the alpha phase so I'm sure they aren't done with the new abilities and talents.

Comment by Interest

Comment by BelziET

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:05:29 -0600

For Hunters I would love to get an ability that lets us dual-wield guns =) Similar to Titan's Grip...

What I saw when taking a look into the new talent-trees was the following. As a Hunter we got a total of 5 talents (out of 18) that are usable skills. As a mage you have 13 skills in the talents and only 5 talents give a passive bonus (3 being in the last tier =)).

@ the Druid complaining about the lack of decisions:You really have to think a little more outside the box. As a Hunter, Mage, Rogue or Warlock you are always just a DD (excepts some special boss-mechanics make you a tank). But as a Druid you can perform in every role giving you a lot more freedom and decision. And with 4 roles packed in 3 talent-tiers it is almost impossible to make every tier interesting; unless they implement monster-talents like "Heart of the Wild".

Comment by BahamutBBob

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 11:05:14 -0600

I am liking the warlock stuff. I hope they improve the lower level talents to be of similar awesomeness.

Comment by jdgks

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:08:31 -0600

So, did warriors, especially prot, get screwed over or?

Edit: Sorry hunters, I completely missed that you got screwed over too.

Comment by Adamsm

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:16:28 -0600

So, did warriors, especially prot, get screwed over or?

Edit: Sorry hunters, I completely missed that you got screwed over too.

/sigh Pre-Alpha talents.

Comment by Interest

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:26:22 -0600

So, did warriors, especially prot, get screwed over or?

Edit: Sorry hunters, I completely missed that you got screwed over too.

I'm waiting, and as said before, deadzone removal ftw.

Comment by jdgks

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:28:58 -0600

So, did warriors, especially prot, get screwed over or?

Edit: Sorry hunters, I completely missed that you got screwed over too.

/sigh Pre-Alpha talents.

I know it's pre-alpha... I was not even refering to the talents (tbh I like the new warrior talents) I was refering to the new abilities, that prot warriors didn't really get any of.

Comment by Adamsm

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 12:30:01 -0600

So, did warriors, especially prot, get screwed over or?

Edit: Sorry hunters, I completely missed that you got screwed over too.

/sigh Pre-Alpha talents.

I know it's pre-alpha... I was not even refering to the talents (tbh I like the new warrior talents) I was refering to the new abilities, that prot warriors didn't really get any of.

Talents and Specs; they will change as we go into Alpha, Beta, and Live.

Comment by Arraya

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:35:22 -0600

Blinding Light-Emits a dazzling light in all directions, blinding enemies within 10 yards, causing them to wander disoriented for 6 sec.

Eadric the Pure all over again, but this time player controlled, PLAYER CONTROLLED I TELL YOU!

Comment by Adamsm

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:38:42 -0600

Blinding Light-Emits a dazzling light in all directions, blinding enemies within 10 yards, causing them to wander disoriented for 6 sec.

Eadric the Pure all over again, but this time player controlled, PLAYER CONTROLLED I TELL YOU!

Boss in HoO as well; the female Titan Construct.

Comment by jumbodog

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 13:52:34 -0600

having 6 talent tiers for a a class with 4 different specs is inevitably going to end with talents not optimal for every spec.

Any design solution which "inevitably going to end with talents not optimal for every spec" is a failed designed solution. It's throwing druids under the bus for the 'greater good'. If the only design solution Blizzard can come up with results in this solution then they need to go back to square one and rethink the entire thing.

I'm sure you won't just pick a random talent because "pff who cares it's not for my spec";

You'd be wrong.

Unless the talent has some blindly obvious impact on the encounter or my game play choosing one at random is exactly what I'm going to do. I don't have time for that @#$%, pardon the expression.

Comment by Proudpaladin

Comment by rollyniane

on Thu, 24 Nov 2011 16:39:13 -0600

As far as I'm aware, the very purpose of the new talents' future design is to assure that choices will not be mandatory for certain specs. In light of that, I think they've accomplished it pretty well with the druid's talent tree.

The new talent tree gives druids versatility, I might say, and more of a role to fill, rather than just plainly healing in a specific encounter. Just because they don't bombard the talent tree with majorly game-changing healing talents, it doesn't mean they will not absolutely serve any purpose for a resto druid.